Treating Wounds in Dogs and Cats

 

Treating Wounds in Dogs and Cats
Many dog and cat wounds can be treated at home, including hot spots, allergic dermatitis, and abrasions from falling out of trees and scraping against bark.

Clean the wound first

Use cleaners that don’t sting and don’t harm healthy skin. For example, clean with Epsom salts, dilute iodine, chlorhexidine, or saline solution. There is a previous Caring for Pets blog entry on how to make saline solution.

To clean, use gentle strokes and as much of the solution as possible in order to lift and carry bacteria and dead cells away. Start with the center of the wound and move outward, going 2 cm beyond the edge of the wound to lessen the number of bacteria that can migrate into the wound. Blot the wound dry.

What not to use to clean wounds

Have mercy on your pet and don’t use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol because these sting. In addition, hydrogen peroxide and alcohol they kill as many good cells as they kill bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol are great for cleaning skin that doesn’t have raw open areas, for example, wiping down the skin before a blood sample is taken.

Photograph the wound

Take a picture so you have a permanent document of how the wound initially appeared. If you have doubts whether the wound is healing, repeat the photo and compare the two. A wound that’s healing shrinks in size, becomes less red, produces less oozing serum. It is less swollen and less painful than it was initially, and does not have a stinky odor.

Apply a topical medication

To promote your pet’s natural bacteria fighting efforts, apply one of the following to the wound and leave it on:

·         Aloe directly from the plant (rather than the aloe used to drink for healthy digestion)

·         Lavender oil diluted in water (20 drops of oil in one ounce of water)

·         Chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) (NOT the chlorhexidine scrub which contains a soap)

·         Iodine diluted to color of weak tea (Betadine)

·         Burt’s Bee’s Cuticle Cream and other lanolin-containing topicals

Bandaging?

Bandage is wise if the wound will get dirty, but not if the wound stays clean. For example, wounds on feet are bandaged if pets walk over muddy areas or manure-rich barnyards, but foot wounds are left open if pets walk through clean, grassy backyards. Wounds are bandaged if pets sleep outdoors with exposure to flies, windswept dirt, or other pets that may bother the wound. Wounds are bandaged if pets repeatedly lick the wound because rather than being a healing behavior, repeated licking promotes the growth of bacteria and yeast.

When possible, remove bandages while pets sleep.

 Using Vetwrap

One of the affordable bandaging materials that allows a wound to breathe while providing a barrier to bacteria is Vetwrap. Vetwrap is a whiz to use because it sticks to itself, and it’s fun to use because it comes in playful colors from yellow to purple and blue to gold.

 First, place a piece of gauze or paper towel covered with the antibiotic solution against the wound. Then, holding the gauze in place, take a couple turns around the wound with Vetwrap just tight enough to hold the bandage material securely in plave. Wrap from the bottom up rather than from the top down, that is start closer to the toes or the tail and wrap toward the head. Check to see that the wrap is not too tight, causing the area below the bandage (distal) to swell as blood has a difficult time moving through compressed veins. If the bandage is too tight, unwrap and re-wrap with less tension.

Vetwrap and similar elastic bandage materials are not waterproof, and if they get wet, should be removed. There are waterproof elastic bandages but these not a good choice for homecare of wounds because they lock in too much moisture and prevent the wound from “breathing.”

Unwrapping the bandage

If the wound remains dry and does not ooze serum, the bandage slides off easily. If the wound oozes serum, the bandage may stick. Pulling a stuck bandage off hurts, and pulling on a stuck bandage removes healthy cells, slowing down the rate of healing. When a bandage is stuck, don’t pull-- soak the bandage with saline until it slides off.

Pets don’t remember that removing the bandage only stung for a few seconds; what pets remember is that bandaging caused pain. They’re less cooperative each time, and you don’t want that.

If wounds hurt

Some wounds are painful, some aren’t. Some indications that wounds are painful are:

·         Licking the wound

·         Restlessness and inability to settle

·         Withdrawal from family

·         Anorexia (reduced appetite)

·         Irritability

·         Limping

·         Reluctance to play with toys

 If wounds hurt, dogs and cats may try to self-soothe by licking the wound. Unfortunately, licking deposits bacteria from the oral cavity and from their bottoms, which they also lick.

Treat pain

No pet should be in pain. To treat pain, and pain-induced licking, consider using one or all of the following:

• lidocaine topical medication
• DMSO topically
• laser therapy
• acupuncture
• homeopathic Traumeel (contains Arnica, Symphytum, Calendula, Belladonna, Hypericum, etc)
• Tramadol or Gabapentin
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Meloxicam, Piroxicam, Etogesic.
• Acetominophen can be used in dogs but not in cats.
• Aspirin can be used in dogs, but is not a good choice for cats because it cannot be safely given as often or in large enough amounts to effectively treat pain.

When wounds need veterinary care

Wounds are designed to heal so home-cleaning and bandaging are often all that is necessary to help our dogs and cats, but there are times your pet should have veterinary care. Make an appointment with your veterinarian to be seen that day if the wound:

• causes a fever with a rectal temperature greater than 102.5
• has an odor
• is increasing in size
• is increasing in redness
• oozes an increasing amount of material
• is painful so your pet won’t let you handle it
• is painful so your pet doesn’t sleep well or has a reduced appetite
• looks worse in a photo taken 3 days after it first occurred compared with the initial photo.